Car-brake



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

S.'R. LEWIS.

' GAR BRAKE. No. 455,753.

Patented July 14,1891.

(No M5551.) r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

. S. R. LEWIS-.

GAR BRAKE.

No. 455,755. P5555555 July 14, 1891..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER ROCKVVILL LElVIS, OF GARRISON, IOWVA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,753, dated July I4, 1891. Application filed June 8, 1888. SerialLN'o. 276,544. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SYLvEsTnR RocKwILL LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Garrison, in the county ofBenton and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Brakes and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide for the setting of car-brakes automatically by the forward movement ofthe cars following a slacking of the speed at the front end of the train.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car and an ideal view of the trucks thereunder, showing also the brake. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the draw-head and contiguous parts of the brakeon the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a plan view of the device from the under side.

Similar letters of reference sponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A is a common freight-car, and B B the trucks thereunder. These are of the usual style and need not be particularly described. 1 The car is pro vided with the usual draw-heads O C, which, as is common, have a limited movement endwise.

Following is a description of my brake: D D are brake-shoes, suspended from the under side of the car by links E E and adapted to bear against the flanged side of the wheels. Suitably pivoted to these are toggle-arms F F, the two pairs of each truck being connected by a rod G. From one of the inner pairs of arms a chain H passes to. a pivoted bar I, mounted on a suitable bracket J at the middle of the car. This chain should not be continuous, but be provided with a spring K to indicate correprevent the brake being set too tight. To the bar I is connected a longitudinal bar L, passing through a suitable box M. The outer end of this bar is provided with a hinged latch or tongue N, pivoted to swing downwardly, its outer end adapted to engage with a shoulder on the underside of the drawhead. From this tongue N an inclined lip N extends beyond the point of engagement with the draw-head and is adapted to engage with the arm 0 on the upright rod P. By turning this rod so as to throw the armO under the draw-head the tongue is depressed and dis engaged from the draw-head. This permits of the cars being used in the same manner as those in common use in switching and the like. A spring Q holds the tongue in normal position, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the brake will now be readily understood. On .the slowing up of the forward end of the train, as in descending grades and in stopping the train, the cars naturally close together. The effect of this is to push backward on the pivoted bar I, through the medium of the connecting-bar L, and thus in turn, through the medium of the chains, straighten out the toggles in the manner indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, thus pressing the brake-shoes against the sides of the wheels. This action is communicated to all the cars, and thus the train is easily and automatically controlled. A crosschain R, having a spring S and connected with opposite brake-shoes, serves to disengage them from the wheels and restore the parts to normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a car-brake, the combination of brakeshoes D D, toggle-arms F F, connecting-rod G, chain H, pivoted bar I, longitudinal bar L, having pivoted latch ,or tongue N, and draw-head C, having a limited movement endwise, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a brake and set ting apparatus, substantially as described, toggle-arms to press the brake-shoes against IO 0f the hinged tongue N, having the inclined the sides of opposite wheels.

lipN', and the rod P, having arm 0, and the In testimony whereof I affix my signature in spring Q, all substantially as and for the purpresence of two Witnesses. 5 pose set forth. T t

3. In a car-brake, the combination of brake- SX LVESFI ER B OKWILL shoes D D, toggle-arms F F, cross-chain R, l/Vitnesses: having spring S, and means, substantially as JOSEPH OLIVER SOHOONOVER, described, for automatically actuating said ELMER ABIAL GRAVES. 

